These Veterans Are Legal Immigrants, But Getting Deported

"Thanks. Now leave." That's the message from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is deporting foreign-born veterans who are legal residents.

Arnold Giammarco was born in Italy, grew up in Hartford and served honorably in both the Army and the National Guard. He then committed some crimes — shoplifting and drug offenses — that landed him in prison. He served his time and was released.

End of story? No. Despite his having paid his debt to society and having served in the armed forces of his adopted country, he is now in Italy, deported a year ago by ICE because of his past convictions. His wife and child remain in Connecticut.

Such treatment would be absurd if it were not so heartbreaking.

Mr. Giammarco is not an illegal immigrant; he is a legal resident, a green-card holder. But the fact that he is not a citizen made him vulnerable to deportation, even nine years after his drug conviction.

Mark Reid, a native of Jamaica and an Army Reserve veteran, has served his prison time for a nonviolent drug offense. Nevertheless, he is in jail in Massachusetts awaiting deportation.

It's not clear why the Immigration Department is now going after foreign-born veterans who were found guilty of crimes and who did their time. A department spokesman would not comment except to recite that the actions "must be authorized by the senior leadership in a field office, following an evaluation by local counsel."

Those in the know have an explanation: The Obama administration, eager to deflect Republican charges of being weak on immigration, is going overboard to deport as many foreign-born people as possible. Even legal residents. Even veterans.

Indeed, more immigrants have been detained and deported since Mr. Obama took office than in any previous administration.

That's simply wrong. Deportation should be reserved for those here illegally.